Yarn carrier for knitting machines



Feb. l4, 1939. w BOEDEKER 2,147 592 YARN CARRIER FOR KNITTING MACHINE-3 Filed Oct. 17, 1938 INVENTOR.

iQM WATTORNEY.

I Patented Feb. 14,1939

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE YARN CARRIER FOR KNITTING MACHINES Application October 17,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to yarn carriers for use on knitting machines such as are employed in making full-fashioned hosiery or in knitting other flat forms.

An object of the invention is to provide a yarn carrier having a replaceable guide tube and a conveniently manipulated locking means whereby the yarn tube is firmly held in connection with the supporting arm of the carrier.

-Another object of the invention is to afford a yarn carrier of such compact structure as to permit assemblage and operation of the carriers on the knitting machine in groups without interference with each other.

And a further object of the invention is to so construct the locking means on the carrier for the guide tube so that it is conveniently accessible for manipulation in replacing of the guide tubes in the arms of the carriers, and so as to 20 permit replacement of the guide tubes without necessity of dismounting the carrier.

Other objects and advantages of the invention appear in the following description.

An illustrative embodiment of a preferred form 25 of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. l is a side view of a yarn carrier in which the invention is incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a front view projected from Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a section of Fig. 1 on the line 3-3 thereof, the guide tube securing means being in locked position;

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the securing means 35 in unlocked position; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 3 on the line 5-5 thereof.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a yarn carrier comprised of a supporting arm I formed with a perforated head 2 at one end thereof by which the carrier is 58- cured to a knitting machine in the usual manner, and having at its opposite end an integral extension constituting a jaw 3. One side of the arm has formed thereon a lug 4 on'which is pivoted a clamping lever 5 one end of which has an extension constituting a jaw 6 that is disposed oppositely with respect to the stationary jaw 3- on the supporting arm. The clamping lever has tilting movement on a pin I that extends through the lug 4 so that when the lever is operated the jaw 6 is moved toward or away from the jaw 3.

The other end of the lever 5 has made therein a slot 8, and the arm I has made in its side a 55 similar slot 9 that is alined with the slot 8 in 1938, Serial No. 235,352

the lever, and movably disposed in said slots is arranged a sliding wedge Ill one end of which engages and bears outwardly against the adjacent inner face ll of the clamping lever li. The wedge III has a thumb-piece [2 that is exposed at the side of the supporting arm conveniently to permit manipulation of the wedge.

When the wedge is pushed toward the clamping lever, the lever is moved into clamping engagement (Fig. 3) with the guide tube l3 that is placed between the jaws 3 and 6, and when the wedge is moved back in the opposite direction (Fig. 4) the clamping lever may then be tilted to open position thus permitting removal of the guide tube from between the jaws. Thus, the clamping lever is moved into clamping position and held locked in such position by action of the wedge and in this manner the guide tube is held firmly in operative position between the jaws 3 and 6. I

Preferably, the inner faces of the jaws have made therein-longitudinal grooves M shaped to receive and snugly fit about the guide tube 13 when in clamped position between the jaws. Also, there are formed shoulders l5 and IS in the arm and lever located where. the grooves l4 terminate and against which the proximal end of the guide tube bears when in clamped position. In the front face of the supporting arm is made an elongated tapering open slot N that terminates at one end with a connected small opening it in the shoulder l5 that is disposed in alinement with and is similar in size to the bore through the guide tube. Thus, when the tube is in clamped position between the jaws, a yarn is strung through the guide tube by introducing it through the open-slot and connected opening and from thence through the tube.

In use, the yarn carrier or a plurality thereof are applied to the knitting apparatus in the customary manner so that the yarn carriers have movement and the yarn is drawn through the guide-tubes of the carriers in proper position to be engaged by the knitting needles. When the guide tube shall have become worn by the friction of .the yarn passing therethrough and replacement becomes necessary the corresponding thumb-pi'ece is moved back into the groove 9 thereby withdrawing the pressure of the wedge from the clamping lever, whereupon the clamping lever may be titled manually thus releasing the tube and permitting a new tube to be insertedbetween the jaws and then clamped in place by moving the wedge back into locking position. This operation may readily be performed without necessity of removing the arm of the yarn carrier from the machine.

Variations from the particular construction above disclosed may readily be made by exercise of engineering skill .without departure from the spirit or scope of the invention, and the following claims are intended to be inclusive of such variations.

What I claim is:-

1. A yarn carrier for knitting machines of the type on which full-fashioned hosiery is formed, said carrier consisting of an arm having an integral extension terminating with a jaw, a lug projecting from one side of said extension, a clamp lever pivoted to said lug having tilting movement, one end of said lever terminating with a second jaw disposed oppositely with respect to the former jaw, the opposing faces of said jaws having longitudinally disposed grooves made therein, shoulders on said extension and lever located at the inner ends of said grooves, the other end of said lever and adjacent edge of said arm having alined slots therein, a wedge movably positioned in said alined slots engageable with the inner face of the adjacent end of said lever and provided with a thumb-piece exposed at the side of said arm, said arm having an elongated tapering open slot in the front face thereof terminating with a smaller opening extending through its shoulder, and a guide tube clamped between said jaws with one end thereof abutting said shoulders and with its bore alined with said small opening when the wedge is moved to locking position.

2. A yarn carrier for knitting machines of the full-fashion type, said carrier including an arm one side of which has a recess made therein, a clamping lever located in said recess and pivoted to said arm for tilting movement relative thereto, the outer ends of said arm and lever having opposing jaws, the inner faces of which are grooved for the reception of a guide tube when inserted between said jaws, the other end of said lever and adjacent edge of said arm having alined slots therein, and a movable wedge positioned in said alined slots operably engageable with the inner face of the adjacent end of said lever and provided with a thumb-piece exposed at the side of said arm, said arm having an open slot in the front face thereof terminating with a smaller opening alined with the bore of said guide tube when said guide tube is in operating position.

3. A yarn carrier for a knitting machine of the full-fashion type, said carrier consisting of an arm attachable to said machine, a tilting clamping lever pivoted on said arm, the outer end of said lever and corresponding end of said arm having opposing jaws adapted to secure a guide tube therebetween when said tube is in place and said lever is in clamping position, and a manually operable wedge disposed in one side of the carrier engageable with said lever for movlng and locking the lever in tube-clamping position, said arm having an open yarn-receiving slot terminating with a smaller opening that is alined with the bore of said tube when the tube is clamped in place.

4. A yarn carrier for a knitting machine of the full-fashion type, said carrier consisting of a supporting arm, a tilting clamping member on said arm, said arm and member having opposing jaws for securing a guide tube therebetween, and a manually actuated means disposed in one side of the carrier whereby to move said clamping member into clamping position and to secure said member in such position, said carrier having a yarn-receiving passageway communicating with said tube when the tube is in place.

5. A yarn carrier for a knitting machine of the full-fashion type, said carrier consisting of an arm having at one end a relatively immovable jaw, a movable clamping member connected with said arm provided with a jaw opposing the immovable jaw, an operating means movably mounted in connected with said carrier for actuating said clamping member, and a guide tube secured by said jaws when inserted in place therebetween and said member is actuated.

6. A yarn carrier for a knitting machine of the full-fashion type, said carrier having oppositely disposed jaws one of which is immovable respecting the carrier and the other relatively movable,

and adjustable means operatively connected said jaws.

EDWARD W. BOEDEKER. 

